Prime Time Players

[Snaggletiger]

I'm copy/pasta'ing the first part of a waayyy too long article by Matt Hayes on SDS. It had 6 more parts as long as this one, and got super duper repetitive.  Plus, he had to throw in the obligatory, "It's an annual booster shit show at Auburn" take.  Anywayz, whether it's Prime or somebody else, his point stands.

1. I don’t want to get on a soapbox, but …
Take this chance, Auburn. Take it and run with it, knowing everything else hasn’t worked — with the exception of 1-off seasons with a mercenary quarterback and a couple of fluke plays.

There’s no luck with this move, no hoping for the best.

This is the long haul.

Before you make the easy hire, the expected hire of Hugh Freeze, take a long, hard look toward Jackson, Miss.

You want the equalizer to the 5,000-pound elephant in the room? You need the most charismatic, dynamic personality in sports with the fattest NIL war chest in his back pocket.

You need Primetime.

You need Deion Sanders strolling onto The Plains, planting a statement flag and doing the only thing that can possibly slow the Alabama/Georgia train: reach and recruit young people like no previous coach at Auburn has.

Want to know why Kirby Smart is the new king of the SEC and college football? Players.

Or why Nick Saban has won 6 national titles in 16 seasons at Alabama and 7 overall? Players.

Players win games. Players win big games.

Don’t believe it? Check out Saturday’s Tennessee-Georgia game, where the Vols’ magical season came to an ugly halt because — I know this is going to shock everyone — Georgia had better players.

Tennessee couldn’t block Georgia’s better players. Tennessee’s prolific receivers couldn’t separate from Georgia’s better defensive backs.

Auburn had the better player (singular) once, and the greatest college player of the modern era (Cam Newton) led the Tigers to a rare national title run we may never witness again.

Auburn had a handful of elite players in 2013 — and got a couple of huge breaks along the way (see: Kick-6, The Prayer at Jordan-Hare) — before Florida State’s better players (all 22 starters eventually on NFL rosters) won out on the last drive of the national title game.

Players win games.

Auburn will only get better — only becomes championship-caliber — if the coach at Auburn can convince elite, 4- and 5-star players to join a suddenly stale program that has fallen behind not only bitter rival Alabama in the SEC but everyone else in the upper half of the 14-team league.

When Texas and Oklahoma arrive, it’s only getting worse.

Now more than ever, the college game is about recruiting and developing players. When Sanders arrived at Jackson State in 2020, the Tigers hadn’t had a winning season since 2013.

He navigated the COVID delay and kept the program together, then was forced to play back-to-back seasons in 2021 so the program could financially stay afloat. The spring season was transitional, and the 4-3 record included a forfeit.

The fall season finished with a school-record 11 wins, a SWAC championship and coach of the year honors. How did it turn so quickly?

Players.

[wesfau2]

He's not wrong.

[AUTailgatingRules]

I'm all in with Prime Time

[jmar]

I'm all in with Prime Time

Same. I'll get over my pernickety old fashioned ways in favor of the paddles while there's a chance to bring the program back quickly.
 

[CCTAU]

I laugh at all prime time googley eyed fans. Deion is not coming to AU.
You want AU to fawn over him and then he publicly says no thanks. That’s when the national theme will be how we “settled”.

[jmar]

I laugh at all prime time googley eyed fans. Deion is not coming to AU.
You want AU to fawn over him and then he publicly says no thanks. That’s when the national theme will be how we “settled”.

I differ on you here simply because in past searches Auburn never contacted the so called big named candidates like Bob Stoops or Urban Meyer and I doubt they even talked to Coach Dye's choice which was Kirby.
To get the heavyweights you have to deal predominantly with their agents.

The settling part by my estimation is built around a faction connected to Yella Fella et. al.  that  push in the early stages for guys like Steele, Muschamp or even Oliver followed by a token sideshow committee whose job it is to sell a lesser product to the faithful. Hence Malzahn.

There's wiggle room salary wise with Deion Sanders, Hugh Freeze and a host of other possibles.

To "settle" in my view is to make a faint pass at Lane Kiffin's salary and then choose an up and comer without so much as a fifteen minute conversation with either Sanders or Freeze both whom are realistically gettable. Both can just tell their guy to go get us the Auburn job thinking the salary to be ballpark   commensurate between lowside- State or Arky and highside- Tamu and Bamer in the SEC West. 

[Kaos]

I differ on you here simply because in past searches Auburn never contacted the so called big named candidates like Bob Stoops or Urban Meyer and I doubt they even talked to Coach Dye's choice which was Kirby.
To get the heavyweights you have to deal predominantly with their agents.

The settling part by my estimation is built around a faction connected to Yella Fella et. al.  that  push in the early stages for guys like Steele, Muschamp or even Oliver followed by a token sideshow committee whose job it is to sell a lesser product to the faithful. Hence Malzahn.

There's wiggle room salary wise with Deion Sanders, Hugh Freeze and a host of other possibles.

To "settle" in my view is to make a faint pass at Lane Kiffin's salary and then choose an up and comer without so much as a fifteen minute conversation with either Sanders or Freeze both whom are realistically gettable. Both can just tell their guy to go get us the Auburn job thinking the salary to be ballpark   commensurate between lowside- State or Arky and highside- Tamu and Bamer in the SEC West.

Deion is not and never was coming to AU. That was a media fantasy.
Hugh Freeze better not ever come to AU.  Not even on the list unless everybody from Ed Orgeron to Toby from the Office says no first.

Neither are viable. Neither are worth consideration.

[jmar]

Deion is not and never was coming to AU. That was a media fantasy.
Hugh Freeze better not ever come to AU.  Not even on the list unless everybody from Ed Orgeron to Toby from the Office says no first.

Neither are viable. Neither are worth consideration.

Hugh Freeze's past but even moreso the fact that Cohen comes from in- state rival in Starkville might be the only reason that he hasn't been named as Auburn's Head Coach already.

Kiffen might be the only guy that would turn Auburn down.

 

[Snaggletiger]

I've said many times that Auburn needs to make a splash hire.  No, there are no certainties with any of them, Deion included. But, it's time to stop settling. I'll say it again:

Brymon Hartvins: I was okay with it.  Looked fairly solid from the outside at first glance.  But nobody was blown away by any means.

Gus: 1 year at Arky State.

Chiz: 5-19

Tubs: A few years at Ole Miss

Bowden: Samford's coach. Diddy's name.

That's going back right at 30 years.  Auburn settles. People, the game has changed, and changed quickly.  We can't bring in Jeff Grimes, or Matt Rhule, or Rhett Lashlee, or any number of, "Well, I think he could be really good" candidates. Hire somebody that makes the college football world, and recruits, stand up and take notice.  Whoever it is, can't set us back any farther than Happling did in a year and a half.

[jmar]

I've said many times that Auburn needs to make a splash hire.  No, there are no certainties with any of them, Deion included. But, it's time to stop settling. I'll say it again:

Brymon Hartvins: I was okay with it.  Looked fairly solid from the outside at first glance.  But nobody was blown away by any means.

Gus: 1 year at Arky State.

Chiz: 5-19

Tubs: A few years at Ole Miss

Bowden: Samford's coach. Diddy's name.

That's going back right at 30 years.  Auburn settles. People, the game has changed, and changed quickly.  We can't bring in Jeff Grimes, or Matt Rhule, or Rhett Lashlee, or any number of, "Well, I think he could be really good" candidates. Hire somebody that makes the college football world, and recruits, stand up and take notice.  Whoever it is, can't set us back any farther than Happling did in a year and a half.

Agree.
Don't want the Pirate or Freeze and don't really want career coordinators Lanning or Grimes over a splash like Deion.
Kiffen is the one that will likely refuse Auburn not Sanders.

[Buzz Killington]

Agree.
Don't want the Pirate or Freeze and don't really want career coordinators Lanning or Grimes over a splash like Deion.
Kiffen is the one that will likely refuse Auburn not Sanders.

My skreets tell me Kiffin already has glass stuck in his knees from heading Auburn's way.

[jmar]

My skreets tell me Kiffin already has glass stuck in his knees from heading Auburn's way.

Cohen's wife knows there are conservatives who have said the same about certain political candidates and she isn't impressed with the coed chaser with the bloody knees.

[jmar]

Our problem could very well come down to the piss poor decision to hire Cohen when we could have had Jay Jacobs again. 😭

[GH2001]

Deion is not and never was coming to AU. That was a media fantasy.
Hugh Freeze better not ever come to AU.  Not even on the list unless everybody from Ed Orgeron to Toby from the Office says no first.

Neither are viable. Neither are worth consideration.

In a roundabout way on Deion, yes, you are correct.

He wants it X way. We want Y. We are on 2 different planets right now on vision and change. And that's that. Unless one side or the other changes drastically, it won't happen.

Its legit Kiffin who is asking an absurd price tag (Sexton is using McElroy to peddle overpriced angles), Lanning who also probably wants too much for his exp level and Freeze who comes with the right price tag and desire but a ton of baggage. In that order I.

Then I think you have Mark Stoops, Grimes, Dykes maybe even Arranda and a few others below that. We go 0-7? Then you started talking about Carnell at that point.

[GH2001]

Agree.
Don't want the Pirate or Freeze and don't really want career coordinators Lanning or Grimes over a splash like Deion.
Kiffen is the one that will likely refuse Auburn not Sanders.

With Deion its vision and control. With Lane its purely money at this point. Way he sees it, he will get a raise either way. And so will sexton.

[jmar]

With Deion its vision and control. With Lane its purely money at this point. Way he sees it, he will get a raise either way. And so will sexton.

So what's wrong with offering what would be a significant bump to Deion's ego for like 4 years at 25M for starters and if he says no there's still space for a big name under the Nick/Jimbo mark but still room for an up and comer, a career coordinator with chops or even the Pirate or Freeze.

[jmar]

I'm saying at least make a play for Deion.

[GH2001]

So what's wrong with offering what would be a significant bump to Deion's ego for like 4 years at 25M for starters and if he says no there's still space for a big name under the Nick/Jimbo mark but still room for an up and comer, a career coordinator with chops or even the Pirate or Freeze.

I think what some of us are saying, is that the bolded above may have already happened just in prelim feelers. Were on two different planets on vision. Not even at an offer point yet, which is more the case with Lane and Lanning.

[jmar]

I think what some of us are saying, is that the bolded above may have already happened just in prelim feelers. Were on two different planets on vision. Not even at an offer point yet, which is more the case with Lane and Lanning.

I see. And Deion does have time on his hands arguing from a position of strength because it's already recruiting season for Carnell and Company and he knows the clock is ticking and patience is not something the program has exhibited in the past.

[CCTAU]

I'm saying at least make a play for Deion.

It's not just about "making a play". You don't want to be perceived as the whore that cannot get laid.
You quietly work the back channels. And if there is a viable place to meet at some middle, you pursue it.
But know that if you "make a play" and fail, the national perception will be worse. And then to prove to everyone you are not a bad guy, you offer Cadillac....